Megyn Kelly's NBC struggles no surprise | Opinion

Megyn Kelly's controversial interview with conspiracy theory peddler Alex Jones spent a week in the spotlight before it even aired.

In the end, Kelly won over some critics with a tougher-than-expected grilling of Jones. But she didn't win over the public. Most of them didn't even watch.

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Kelly has been a flop on NBC. The peacock network gave her a contract worth $17 million annually to lure her away from Fox News. She is supposed to be the future of NBC, a 21st-century Barbara Walters — or as Kelly put it in leaked audio to Jones, a mix of Oprah, Mike Wallace and Larry the Cable Guy.

But she's routinely losing in the ratings. Despite high-profile interviews with Vladimir Putin (which was widely panned) and Jones, more viewers are watching re-runs of 60 Minutes and America's Funniest Home Videos than new episodes of Kelly.

There are even rumors NBC is looking for a way out. Could MSNBC be in her future?

In the three weeks since Megyn Kelly’s new Sunday news magazine premiered, ratings have steadily declined https://t.co/eGTJYDI5WR

Here's the reality: news magazine shows just don't hold up today like they did a decade ago.

"60 Minutes" gets strong ratings, but that's the exception, not the norm. Nearly a half century of quality journalism and an impeccable reputation keeps 60 Minutes on top. It's a Sunday night staple.

But the model of having a journalist like Megyn Kelly give interviews in primetime just feels outdated. Her show is pitched for an entire week — "tune in Sunday for the Putin interview!" Yet media has become instantaneous. We're not used to waiting days to watch a previously filmed interview. By the time Sunday night rolls around, we've lost interest.

One-on-one interviews are best in a cable news format. As soon as you have it, air it. Some will see it live but many others will watch highlights on social media. There are so many outlets for news on cable and on the internet that network viewers want entertainment. They'd rather watch home videos of grandpa getting a pie in the face than a mildly engaging former Fox News host interviewing the Russian president. That's the reality we live in.

Even if there is room for a TV magazine show to prosper again, Kelly might not be the one to do it. Her show received stellar ratings on Fox News. But were the viewers tuning into watch her, or did she benefit from Fox News' mega-popularity with conservatives during the Obama era? Kelly didn't become a household name until her aggressive questioning of Donald Trump in a GOP debate — and Trump's savage response that propelled her into the spotlight.

Kelly might turn it around and it's possible her show eventually catches on with viewers. Once football season returns, she'll move to NBC daytime — but there's no telling that will be a success either.